Bowling pin elevating and resetting mechanism



2 Sheets-Sheet l J m H Q... 33 7/ 3 s a mg x 2 m 3 m 5 3 ii 5 %m M m 5|l| Z 2 w 6 7 H I] v 1 A 0 n 7 ,i f/ a a WW x /W p .m 1 i /i. 2 A in m mQ 3 M r w Y W Sept. 15, 1953 L. A. DURANT ET AL BOWLING PIN ELEVATINGAND RESETTING MECHANISM Filed May 11, 1953 Sept. 15, 1953 L. A. DURANTET AL 2,652,557

BOWLING PIN ELEVATING AND RESETTING MECHANISM I Filed May 11. 1953 2Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TORS Patented Sept. 15, 1 953 UN ITED" STATESPATENT OFFICE 2,652,557 BOWLING PI'N ELEVATING AND RESETTlNG MECHANISMLyndon A. Durant and Marcine P. wolverton,

Ghicago, 111., assignors to General Patent Cor-, poration, Chicago,111., a corporation of Illinois Application-May 11-, 1953; seriarNd.354,061 12 Claims. (01. e m-sic) l Ourinvention relates to a bowling pinelevat ing and resetting mechanism and has for its principal object theprovision of a novel arrangement for automatically moving each bowling"pinfrom and into position upona simulated bowling field or playingsurface and for releasably latching each pin in an elevated positionabove the field or surface.

Other salient objects of our invention are to provide a mechanism of thecharacter hereinafter described which is effective for elevating abowling pin'or other target from a simulated field or playing surfacethrough a minimum of space; to provide a mechanism which is effectivefor rapidly elevating and resetting the simulated bowling pin or othertarget with respect to the bowling field or playing surface; to providea mechanism for the purposes hereinafter described which requires aminimum of electric energy for its operation; to provide a mechanismwhich is simple and inexpensive in operation and construction; and toprovide a mechanism for elevating and resetting bowling pins whichpermits the employment of simulated bowling pins larger than those nowcommercially in use without substantially enlarging the area occupied bythesimulated pin or other target when in'target position within sucharea.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement ofparts'to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. '1 is a part sectional side elevational view of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional detail view taken substantially online '22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the invention but showing the parts indifferent positions; and

Fig. e is a side elevational view similar to that shown in Fig. 1 butshowing the parts thereof in different positions.

Many attempts have been made in the amusement game industry to provideasimulated bowling game wherein relatively large simulated bowling pinsmay be employed and yet be individually elevated and reset within arelatively small area or space.

Such prior attempts have proven'not only unsatisfactory but expensivedue to the fact that no suitable mechanism had been provided for thusorienting the simulated bowling pin from the size of the area providedfor the pins in simulated bowling games now in commercial use.

As will be presently apparent, we provide such a mechanism. In thisconnection such mechanism comprises a mounting plate [0. This plate i isgenerally carried by a supporting Wall ll 2 constituting a' part of acabinet enclosing the mechanism; Secured to this plate ii) and extendingdownwardly therefrom is a substantially U-s'hapedbracket l2 providingspaced side wings it carrying therebetween a transversely extendingpintle' l4;

Mounted on this pintle It between the side Wings 13 is a-sleeve l5;Fixed to this sleeve i5 is a gear segment it having an integral tailportion ll extending in a horizcntaldirection through a notch l8 formedinthe bight portion 29 of the bracket 52 which integrally connects theside wings ls-togeth'er.

The lower end portion of the bight portion it provides ahook so to whichone end portion of a spring 2-! is attached, the opposite end portion ofthe spring being connected to a hook 22 provided by the tail portion ll.7

Pivotally supported by the pintle itis a supporting arm 2-3 comprisingtwo side plates is spaced-from each other as shown. The upper endportion of the arm 23 terminates into a latch head L t-having ashoulder26* adapted for latched engagement with a latch plate Zl carried by anelectromagnetic coil 28 and actuated thereby.

The, side plates ze providing the supporting arm fis have lateralextensions 29 carrying pins 3i? to which corresponding end portions ofsprings 31 are connected, the opposite end portions of suchgsprings 3|being connected to hooks 32 provided by the mounting plate 10. p

Under the action of these springs 3!, the arm 23 isadapted to bepivoted-to a position beneath and substantially parallel to'the plateiii when the'latch plate 21 is disengaged from the latch head 25,suchdisengagement resulting each time the coil 28is energizedin a mannerwell known in theart. I a

The lower end portion of the sideplates 2t carry a pin 33. The ends ofthis pin33lare journaled in lugs 34- provided' by and extendingsubstantially lateral from a back plate 35 formed as a part of atargettt. This target 36 in the present instance simulates aconventional bowling pin.

On this pin 33 is mounted a gear segment 3? having a tail portion 38which projects through a slo t 39 (Fig. 4 formed in the back plate 35.

This tail portion 38: prevents" the gear (it from rotating independentlyof the target 36. The tail portion l7 and spring 21, while holding thegear segment l6 against rotation, permit limited rotation of the gearlfi'in an anticlockwise direction as viewedin Fig: 1, for reasons whichwill be hereinafter made apparent;

An actuating bar 401s arranged between the plates 24. Midway between theopposite end portions of such bar is a pivot pin 4! journaled inthemedial portion of the side plates-2t.

The opposite endportions of the actuating bar 40 provide gear segments42 and 43 extending in opposite'directions with respectto each other and3 meshing respectively with the gear segments 31 and [6.

To complete the invention there is pivotally carried by the pin [4 aresetting bar 44 which is adapted to bear against a pin carried by thelatch head 25. To this reset bar 44 is connected a reset rod 46 whichmay be connected to suitable mechanism (not shown) for pivoting the bar44 against the pin 45 for purposes hereinafter explained.

There may also be provided beneath the wall II a bumper or cushion pad41 adapted to be engaged by the target to provide a shock absorbertherefor.

In Fig. 1 the target 36 is illustrated in target position with respectto the bowling alley or playing field. In this position, the target 36is held in vertical position by the action of the spring 2| pulling uponthe tail H which tends to urge limited rotation to the gear I6 wherebyto effeet and hold through the bar 40, such vertical position of thetarget 36. In such position of the target 36 (Fig. 1) the latch head 25is in engagement with the latch plate 21. Upon energization of the coil28 the latch plate 21 will be disengaged from the latch head 25releasing the arm 23 for pivotal movement by the action of the springs3| in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1. This pivotal movementof the arm 23 through medium of the gear, hereinbefore described, willin turn pivot the target in an anticlockwise direction to a positionsubstantially parallel with and beneath the arm 23 and above the fieldor playing surface. It will be observed that this pivotal movement ofthe target took place through a relatively small space.

It is by reason of this confined movement that we are able to use largersimulated bowling pins than are now in use.

In its horizontal position, as seen in Fig. 4, the target 36 isyieldably held by the springs 3|.

To reset the target to its vertical position the arm 44 is pivoted in adirection to bear against the pin 45. This pivotal movement of the arm44 will impart pivotal movement of the supporting arm 23 in ananticlockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 1. This pivotal movement ofthe supporting arm 23 through the gear connections between the arm 23and the target 36 will pivot the target 36 in a clockwise direction orto a position which is substantially vertical, as shown in Fig. 1. Thetarget 36 is releasably held in this position by engagement of the latchhead 25 with the latch plate 21.

It will be clearly obvious that the several objects of our invention areaccomplished by a mechanism which comprises relatively few parts and onewhich is simple in construction and easy of operation.

While we have described the mechanism as functioning to elevate andreset a simulated bowling pin, it is clearly obvious that the form ofthe target may be changed without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

While we have described and illustrated the preferred form ofconstruction for carrying our invention into effect, this is capable ofvariation and modification without departing from the spirit of theinvention. We, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precisedetails of construction set forth, but desire to avail ourselves of suchvariations and modifications as come within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described our invention, what we 4 claim as new and desireto protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A mechanism of the class described comprising a mounting plate, alatch plate pivotally supported by the mounting plate, a supporting armpivotally supported by the mounting plate and having a latch headadapted for engagement with the latch plate, a gear carried by themounting plate, a target element, a gear carried by the target element,an actuating bar pivoted midway between its end portions to the middleportion of the supporting arm and having at opposite ends gear segmentsoperatively meshing with the gear carried by the plate and the gearcarried by the target element, means for releasing said latch plate fromsaid latch head, and spring means acting on said arm to pivot the samein one direction when said latch plate is disengaged from said latchhead.

A mechanism of the class described comprising a mounting plate, a latchplate pivotally supported by the mounting plate, a supporting armpivotally supported by the mounting plate and having a latch headadapted for engagement with the latch plate, a substantially stationarygear carried by the mounting plate and having limited rotation in onedirection, a target element, a gear carried by the target element, anactuating bar pivoted midway between its end portions to the middleportion of the supporting arm and having at opposite ends gear segmentsoperatively meshing with the gear carried by the plate and the gearcarried by the target element, means for releasing said latch plate fromsaid latch head, and spring means acting on said arm to pivot the samein one direction when said latch plate is disengaged from said latchhead.

3. A mechanism of the class described comprising a mounting plate, alatch plate pivotally supported by the mounting plate, a supporting armpivotally supported by the mounting plate and having a latch headadapted for engagement with the latch plate, a gear carried by themounting plate, a target element, a gear carried by the target element,an actuating bar pivoted midway between its end portions to the middleportion of the supporting arm and having at opposite ends gear segmentsoperatively meshing with the gear carried by the plate and the gearcarried by the target element, electro-magnetic means for releasing saidlatch plate from said latch head, and spring means acting on said arm topivot the same in one direction when said latch plate is disengaged fromsaid latch head.

4. A mechanism of the class described comprising a mounting plate, alatch plate pivotally supported by the mounting plate, a supporting armpivotally supported by the mounting plate and having a latch headadapted for engagement with the latch plate, a substantially stationarygear carried by the mounting plate and having limited rotation in onedirection, means for rotating said gear in said one direction, a targetelement, a gear carried by the target element, an actuating bar pivotedmidway between its end portions to the middle portion of the supportingarm and having at opposite end gear segments operatively meshing withthe gear carried by the plate and the gear carried by the targetelement, means for releasing said latch plate from said latch head, andspring means acting on said arm to pivot the same in one direction whensaid latch plate is disengaged from said latch head.

5 A mechanism of the class described comprising a mounting plate, alatch plate pivotally supported by the mounting plate, a Supporting armpivotally supported by the mounting plate and having a latch headadapted for engagement with the latch plate, a gear carried by themounting plate, a target element, a gear carried by the target element,an actuating bar pivoted midway between its end portions to the middleportion of the supporting arm and having at opposite ends gear segmentsoperatively meshing with the gear carried by the plate and the gearcarried by the target element, means for releasing said latch plate fromsaid latch head, and means acting on said arm to pivot the same in onedirection when said latch plate is disengaged from said latch head.

6. A mechanism of the class described comprising a mounting plate, alatch plate pivotally supported by the mounting plate, a supporting armpivotally supported by the mounting plate and having a latch headadapted for engagement with the latch plate, a substantially stationarygear carried by the mounting plate and having limited rotation in onedirection, a target element, a gear carried by the target element, anactuating bar pivoted midway between its end portions to the middleportion of the supporting arm and having at opposite ends gear segmentsoperatively meshing with the gear carried by the plate and the gearcarried by the target element, means for releasing said latch plate fromsaid latch head, and means acting on said arm to pivot the same in onedirection when said latch plat is disengaged from said latch head.

'7. A mechanism of the class described comprising a mounting plate, alatch plate pivotally supported by the mounting plate, a supporting armpivotally supported by the mounting plate and having a latch headadapted for engagement with the latch plate, a gear carried by themounting plate, a target element, a gear carried by the target element,an actuating bar pivoted midway between its end portions to the middleportion of the supporting arm and having at opposite ends gear segmentsoperatively meshing with the gear carried by the plate and the gearcarried by the target element, electro-magnetic means for releasing saidlatch plate from said latch head, and means acting on said arm to pivotthe same in one direction when said latch plate is disengaged from saidlatch head.

8. A mechanism of the class described comprising a mounting plate, alatch plate pivotally supported by the mounting plate, a supporting armpivotally supported by the mounting plate and having a latch headadapted for engagement with the latch plate, a substantially stationarygear carried by the mounting plate and having limited rotation in onedirection, spring means for rotating said gear in said one direction, atarget element, a gear carried by the target element, an actuating barpivoted midway between its end portions to the middle portion of thesupporting arm and having at opposite ends gear segments operativelymeshing with the gear carried by the plate and the gear carried by thetarget element, means for releasing said latch plate from said latchhead, and spring means acting on said arm to pivot the same in onedirection when said latch plate is disengaged from said latch head.

9. A mechanism for moving a simulated bowling pin comprising a mountingplate, an arm pivotally carried thereby, a target simulating a bowlingpin pivotally carried by the arm at one end thereof, spring means forpivoting said arm in one direction with respect to the plate, and

means operably associated with said arm and said target for pivoting thetarget with respect to the arm in a direction opposite to the pivotalmovement of the arm in said one direction.

10. A mechanism for moving a simulated bowling pin comprising a mountingplate, an arm pivotally carried thereby, a target simulating a bowlingpin pivotally carried by the arm at one end thereof, spring means forpivoting said arm in one direction with respect to the plate, to aposition substantially parallel with respect to the plate, and meansoperably associated with said arm and said target for pivoting thetarget with respect to the arm in a direction opposite to the pivotalmovement of the arm in said one direction, and to a position insubstantially parallel relation to the arm and beneath said mountingplate.

11, A simulated bowling pin elevating and resetting mechanism comprisinga mounting plate, an arm having at one end thereof a latch plate, meanspivotally connecting said end of the arm to said mounting plate, atarget simulating a bowling pin, means connecting said target adjacentone end thereof to the opposite end of the arm for pivotal movement withrespect thereto, means for pivoting said arm relative to the mountingplate, means for pivoting the target with respect to the arm, saidtarget pivoting means effective to pivot said target with respect tosaid arm by the pivotal movement of said arm relative to said plate, alatch member carried by the mounting plate and adapted to have latchedengagement with the latch plate, and. means for releasing said latchmember from the latch plate to free said arm and target for pivotalmovement.

12. A simulated bowling pin elevating and resetting mechanism comprisinga mounting plate, an arm having at one end thereof a latch plate, meanspivotally connecting said end of the arm to said mounting plate forpivotal movement of the arm to and from a position beneath the mountingplate, a target simulating a bowling pin, means connecting said targetat one end thereof to the opposite end of the arm for pivotal movementwith respect to said arm from a position in extended relation to the armto a position substantially parallel thereto, means for pivoting saidarm to and from a position beneath the mounting plate, means forpivoting the target from and to said extended position with respect tothe arm, said target pivoting means effective to pivot said target withrespect to said arm by the pivotal movement of said arm, a latch membercarried by the mounting plate for latched engagement with the latchplate when the arm and target are in extended relation with respect toeach other, and electro-magnetic means for releasing said latch memberfrom the latch plate to free said arm and target for pivotal movementfrom said extended relation with respect to each other.

LYNDON A. DURANT.

MARCINE P. WOLVERITON- References Cited in the file of this patentUNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,618,849 Scott Feb. 22, 19271,704,595 Edwards Mar. 5, 1929 2,010,488 I-Iuddleston Aug. 6, 19352,243,472 Roan May 2'7, 1941 2,599,903 Durant June 10, 1952

